Rotational grazing on rangelands: Reconciliation of perception and experimental evidence
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Authors: D. D. Briske, J. D. Derner, J. R. Brown, S. D. Fuhlendorf, W. R. Teague, K. M. Havistad, R. L. Gillen, A. J. Ash, and W. D. Willms
Date: 2008
Journal: Rangeland Ecology & Management
Volume: 61
Number: 1
Pages: 3-17
Summary of Methods: This paper is a synthesis of 47 studies comparing continuous and rotational grazing from the AGRICOLA database and archived articles from Journal of Range Management.
Article Summary / Main Points: Having assessed the two most frequently quantified grazing experiment variables, plant production via standing crop biomass and animal production per head or per unit area basis, it was concluded rotational grazing is not superior to continuous grazing across numerous rangelands. The differences among strategies depend on management model effectiveness rather than unique ecological phenomena. Continued advocacy for rotational grazing as superior to continuous is founded on anecdotal evidence and perception rather than objective assessment of experimental data. It is recommended that stocking rate considerations be incorporated into development of a grazing plan and overall management and policy decisions.
Vegetation Types: All Vegetation Types
MLRA Ecoregions: Not Applicable
Agrovoc Control Words: Rotational grazing Continuous grazing Grazing systems
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Scientific Synthesis
Keywords: continuous grazing, domestic herbivores, grazed ecosystems, grazing management, grazing systems, rangeland management
Annotation: This is a good summary of numerous scientific experiments measuring plant cover and animal productivity to compare rotational and continuous grazing. Briske et al. have concluded that perception and anecdote are the reasons for continued support of rotational grazing in range systems. However, since these authors’ research did not prove this management strategy to be superior, they have not shown evidence for their conclusion in all situations.
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